Erase voltage reduction in a non-volatile memory device

ABSTRACT

In erasing a memory block of memory cells, a semiconductor tub that contains a memory block to be erased can be biased with a high, positive voltage. The control gates of the memory cells that make up the memory block can be biased with a negative voltage. An erase verification can then be performed to determine if the memory block has been successfully erased. If the memory block has not been erased, the erase operation of biasing the tub with the positive voltage and the control gates with the negative voltage can be repeated until the erase verification is successful.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to co-pending patent application titled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ERASING A MEMORY”, Attorney Docket No.400.636US01, filed on even date herewith and commonly assigned.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to memory devices and in aparticular embodiment the present invention relates to non-volatilememory devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Memory devices can include internal, semiconductor, integrated circuitsin computers or other electronic devices. There are many different typesof memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), synchronousdynamic RAM (SDRAM), and flash memory.

Flash memory devices have developed into a popular source ofnon-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flashmemory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allowsfor high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption.Common uses for flash memory include personal computers, personaldigital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, and cellular telephones.Program code and system data such as a basic input/output system (BIOS)are typically stored in flash memory devices for use in personalcomputer systems.

A typical erase operation holds the word lines of the memory block beingerased at ground potential while the tub of the memory block is formedis biased at a high positive voltage. The high positive voltage cantypically be in a range of 22-24V. The memory block is typically 64pages of single level cell data and 128 pages of multilevel cell datawhere each page is page is typically comprised of 2048 bytes of datawith 32 word lines.

The capacitance of the tub of the memory block being erased cantypically be relatively high. The high capacitance makes it difficultfor the charge pump to increase the voltage of the tub to the requiredhigh erase voltage. Therefore, a larger charge pump is used to producethe necessary high tub voltage, which often leads to larger die size.This goes against the trend by memory device manufacturers of reducingmemory die size.

Additionally, the power consumption of the larger charge pump is highbecause of its size. Larger charge pumps are not as efficient as smallercharge pumps and, therefore, waste power more so than smaller pumps. Thehigher power consumption of the inefficient large charge pumps also goesagainst the current trend by memory manufacturers of reducing powerrequirements for memory devices.

For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below thatwill become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading andunderstanding the present specification, there is a need in the art toreduce the typical high erase voltage in a non-volatile memory device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows schematic diagram of one embodiment of series NAND stringsof memory cells.

FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of one embodiment of a substratep-well that contains at least one block of non-volatile memory cells.

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of a V_(t) distribution in accordance withthe erase method of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for erasing ablock of memory cells in a non-volatile memory device.

FIG. 5 shows block diagram of one embodiment of a memory system thatincorporates the erase method of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof and in whichis shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which theinvention may be practiced. In the drawings, like numerals describesubstantially similar components throughout the several views. Theseembodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilledin the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments may be utilizedand structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. The followingdetailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appendedclaims and equivalents thereof.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a portion of a NANDarchitecture memory array 101 comprising series strings of non-volatilememory cells on which one embodiment of the method for erasing can beused. While FIG. 1 and the subsequent discussions refer to a NAND memorydevice, the present embodiments are not limited to such an architecturebut can be used in other memory device architectures as well.

The memory array is comprised of an array of non-volatile memory cells101 (e.g., floating gate) arranged in columns such as series strings104, 105. Each of the cells 101 are coupled drain to source in eachseries string 104, 105. An access line (e.g. word line) WL0-WL31 thatspans across multiple series strings 104, 105 is connected to thecontrol gates of each memory cell in a row in order to bias the controlgates of the memory cells in the row. The data lines (e.g., bit lines)BL1, BL2 are eventually connected to sense amplifiers (not shown) thatdetect the state of each cell by sensing current on a particular bitline.

Each series string 104, 105 of memory cells is coupled to a source line106 by a source select gate 116, 117 and to an individual bit line BL1,BL2 by a drain select gate 112, 113. The source select gates 116, 117are controlled by a source select gate control line SG(S) 118 coupled totheir control gates. The drain select gates 112, 113 are controlled by adrain select gate control line SG(D) 114.

Each memory cell can be programmed as a single level cell (SLC) ormultilevel cell (MLC). Each cell's threshold voltage (V_(t)) isindicative of the data that is stored in the cell. For example, in anSLC, a V_(t) of 0.5V might indicate a programmed cell while a V_(t) of−0.5V might indicate an erased cell. The MLC may have multiple V_(t)windows that each indicate a different state. Multilevel cells can takeadvantage of the analog nature of a traditional flash cell by assigninga bit pattern to a specific voltage range stored on the cell. Thistechnology permits the storage of two or more bits per cell, dependingon the quantity of voltage ranges assigned to the cell.

At least one embodiment of the erase method of the present disclosurebiases, with a negative erase voltage, the control gates of memory cellscoupled to word lines WL0-WL31 of the memory block being erased. In oneembodiment, the word line erase voltage can be in the range of −4V to−6V. Substantially simultaneously with the negative word line voltage,the p-well in which the memory block being erased is formed is biased ata positive voltage in the range of 16V to 18V. The combination of thenegative word line voltage and the lower, positive p-well voltageprovides a substantially similar voltage differential during the eraseoperation as in a prior art erase operation without the need for a highvoltage on the p-well.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross sectional view of one embodiment of asemiconductor tub in a substrate. The illustrated tub, also referred toin the art as a well, is comprised of a p-type material 221 (e.g.,silicon) that is substantially surrounded by an n-type material 220. Then-type material 220 isolates the well from the remainder of thesubstrate elements. Alternate embodiments can use opposite doping of thetub and surrounding isolating material.

The block of memory cells to be erased is formed in the p-well. In oneembodiment, more than one block of memory cells can be formed in thep-well. FIG. 2 also shows a cross sectional view of one series NANDstring of memory cells. The memory block is comprised of a plurality ofseries strings of memory cells 210, as illustrated in FIG. 1, formedbetween a source line 201 and a drain line 202. Access to the sourceline 201 is controlled by the select gate source transistor 204. Accessto the drain line 202 and thus the bit line is controlled by the selectgate drain transistor 205. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the seriesconnected memory cells 230 are located between the select gate sourcetransistor 204 and the select gate drain transistor 205.

The p-well bias V⁺200 is applied to the p-well material during the eraseoperation. A typical prior art tub bias is in the 22V to 24V range. Theerase method of the present embodiments can use a substantially reducedvoltage in a range of 16V to 18V. The smaller p-well bias is easier toprovide with a smaller charge pump than is required by the prior art.

The conductivity types (i.e., p⁺, n−) illustrated in FIG. 2 are forpurposes of illustration only. In an alternate embodiment, the well canbe an n-type material that is isolated from the rest of the substrate byp-type implants.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a memory cell threshold voltage(V_(t)) distribution for a multiple bit memory device. This figure showsthat the logical 11 state 301 is the most negative state and istypically referred to as the erased state. The logical 10 state 302 isthe most positive state. The logical 01 state 303 and the logical 00state 304 are located between the most negative and most positive states301, 302. The logical states assigned to each distribution are forpurposes of illustration only. Alternate embodiments can have otherlogical states assigned to each distribution as well as differentnumbers of distributions, depending on the programmable density of thememory cells.

As a result of the erase operation of the present disclosure, a memorycell's threshold voltage is moved from one of the programmed states302-304 to the erased state 301. For example, if a flash memory cell isprogrammed to the logical 10 state 303, the erase operation of thepresent disclosure would move the memory cell's threshold voltage fromthe logical 10 state 303 to the logical 11 state 301.

A single bit memory device would have only two threshold voltagedistributions. One distribution is the negative threshold distributionand represents the logical “1” state for erased memory cells. The seconddistribution is the positive, programmed state that is represented by alogical “0”.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for erasinga memory block of non-volatile memory cells. The p-well in which thememory block is formed is biased at the positive voltage as previouslydiscussed 401 and the word lines of the memory block are biased at thenegative voltage as previously discussed 403. During this time, the bitlines are biased at an enable voltage such as 0V.

An erase verify operation is then performed 405 to determine if theerase step was successful. The erase verify operation is substantiallysimilar to a read operation to determine if the memory cell contents areall logical ones or all logical zeros for reverse logic.

In one embodiment, the erase verification is comprised of biasingselected memory cells with an erase verify voltage V_(W1) to the memorycell control gate (e.g., via a select line, such as a word line). If theV_(t) is less than or equal to V_(w1), the cell conducts. If V_(t) isgreater than V_(w1), the cell does not conduct. V_(W1) can be 1.0Vduring erase verification and the unselected word lines are biased at4.5V. Alternate embodiments may use other voltage levels for both theselected and unselected word lines. The selected bit lines are biased atanother voltage (e.g., V_(cc)).

If the erase verification operation 405 determines that the memory blockis erased 407, the erase operation is complete 409. If the eraseverification operation 405 determines that the memory block is noterased 407, the erase steps that include the positive voltage bias ofthe p-well 401 and the negative voltage bias of the memory block wordlines 403 are repeated. The erase steps are repeated until the eraseverification is successful or an error condition is flagged.

FIG. 5 illustrates a functional block diagram of a memory device 500.The memory device 500 is coupled to an external processor 510. Theprocessor 510 may be a microprocessor or some other type of controllingcircuitry. The memory device 500 and the processor 510 form part of amemory system 520. The memory device 500 has been simplified to focus onfeatures of the memory that are helpful in understanding the presentinvention.

The memory device 500 includes an array 530 of non-volatile memorycells, such as the one illustrated previously in FIG. 3. The memoryarray 530 is arranged in banks of word line rows and bit line columns.In one embodiment, the columns of the memory array 530 are comprised ofseries strings of memory cells. As is well known in the art, theconnections of the cells to the bit lines determines whether the arrayis a NAND architecture, an AND architecture, or a NOR architecture.

Address buffer circuitry 540 is provided to latch address signalsprovided through the I/O circuitry 560. Address signals are received anddecoded by a row decoder 544 and a column decoder 546 to access thememory array 530. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art,with the benefit of the present description, that the number of addressinput connections depends on the density and architecture of the memoryarray 530. That is, the number of addresses increases with bothincreased memory cell counts and increased bank and block counts.

The memory device 500 reads data in the memory array 530 by sensingvoltage or current changes in the memory array columns using senseamplifier circuitry 550. The sense amplifier circuitry 550, in oneembodiment, is coupled to read and latch a row of data from the memoryarray 530. Data input and output buffer circuitry 560 is included forbidirectional data communication as well as address communication over aplurality of data connections 562 with the controller 510. Writecircuitry 555 is provided to write data to the memory array.

Memory control circuitry 570 decodes signals provided on controlconnections 572 from the processor 510. These signals are used tocontrol the operations on the memory array 530, including data read,data write (program), and erase operations. The memory control circuitry570 may be a state machine, a sequencer, or some other type ofcontroller to generate the memory control signals. In one embodiment,the memory control circuitry 570 is configured to execute the erasemethod of the present disclosure in order to reduce the high p-wellvoltage normally required for an erase operation.

The flash memory device illustrated in FIG. 5 has been simplified tofacilitate a basic understanding of the features of the memory. A moredetailed understanding of internal circuitry and functions of flashmemories are known to those skilled in the art.

CONCLUSION

In summary, one or more embodiments reduce the high tub voltage normallyrequired during an erase operation for a non-volatile memory block. Inone such embodiment, the semiconductor tub is biased with a positivevoltage that is much greater than V_(cc) such as in the range of 16V to18V. The control gates of the memory cells in the memory block beingerased are biased with a negative voltage in the range of −4V to −6V.Since the potential difference during the erase operation of the presentdisclosure is kept the same as in the prior art erase operation, theendurance characteristics (e.g., program/erase cycle) and erasedistribution window are not impacted.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose maybe substituted for the specific embodiments shown. Many adaptations ofthe invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.Accordingly, this application is intended to cover any adaptations orvariations of the invention. It is manifestly intended that thisinvention be limited only by the following claims and equivalentsthereof.

1. A method for erasing a memory device, the method comprising: biasinga semiconductor tub of a memory block to be erased, with a positivevoltage; biasing control gates of memory cells in the memory block witha negative voltage; and determining if the memory cells in the memoryblock have been erased.
 2. The method of claim 1 and further includingrepeating the tub biasing and the control gate biasing if the memorycells in the memory block have not been erased.
 3. The method of claim 2wherein repeating the tub biasing is performed by increasing thepositive voltage on the semiconductor tub.
 4. The method of claim 2wherein control gate biasing is performed by increasing a magnitude ofthe negative voltage on the control gate.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein the positive voltage is greater than supply voltage.
 6. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the negative voltage is in a range of about−4V to −6V.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining actcomprises reading selected access lines of the memory block.
 8. Themethod of claim 7 wherein the erase verification comprises biasing theselected word lines with an erase verification voltage while unselectedword lines are biased at a positive voltage that is greater than theverification voltage.
 9. A method for erasing a non-volatile memorydevice, the method comprising: applying a positive voltage that isgreater than a supply voltage to a p-well of a block of memory cells tobe erased; applying a negative voltage to control gates of the memorycells to be erased; and repeating applying the positive voltage to thep-well and the negative voltage to the control gates until the memorycells are erased.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein applying thenegative voltage comprises applying the negative voltage to all accesslines of the memory block.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein thepositive voltage is in a range of about 14V to 22V.
 12. The method ofclaim 9 wherein the memory cells are erased when each memory cell of theblock has a negative threshold voltage.
 13. The method of claim 9wherein applying the negative voltage moves a threshold voltage for eachmemory cell of the block from a positive, programmed threshold voltageto a negative, erased threshold voltage.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein the negative, erased threshold voltage represents a logical “1”state for a single bit memory cell and a logical “11” state for amultiple bit memory cell.
 15. A non-volatile memory device comprising: amemory array comprising a plurality of memory cells organized intoblocks; and control circuitry coupled to the memory array forcontrolling operation of the memory array, wherein the control circuitryis configured to control an erase operation that biases, with a positivevoltage, a semiconductor tub of a memory block being erased and thecontrol circuitry is further configured to bias control gates of memorycells of the block with a negative voltage.
 16. The non-volatile memorydevice of claim 15 wherein the memory array is organized in a NANDarchitecture.
 17. The non-volatile memory device of claim 15 wherein thecontrol circuitry is further configured to execute an erase verificationthat determines if the memory block has been erased.
 18. Thenon-volatile memory device of claim 15 wherein the semiconductor tub isa p-well.
 19. A memory system comprising: a processor for generatingmemory control signals; and a non-volatile memory device coupled to theprocessor and operating in response to the memory control signals, thememory device comprising: a memory array comprising a plurality ofmemory cells; and control circuitry coupled to the memory array forcontrolling operation of the memory array in response to the memorycontrol signals, wherein the control circuitry is configured to bias,with a positive voltage, a p-well of a memory block to be erased, bias,with a negative voltage, control gates of memory cells in the block tobe erased, and perform an erase verification that the memory block asbeen erased.
 20. The non-volatile memory device of claim 19 wherein theplurality of memory cells are NAND flash memory cells comprisingfloating gate charge storage elements.
 21. The non-volatile memorydevice of claim 19 wherein the plurality of memory cells are coupled toword lines in rows and bit lines in columns.
 22. The non-volatile memorydevice of claim 19 wherein the memory control signals comprise programand erase control signals.